


Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust

by nightberrypearl



Series: it suck but it don't blow [5]
Category: NU'EST, Wanna One (Band)
Genre: As serious as a fic about vacuums can be, Crack Treated Seriously, Heavy Angst, Other, this is serious business
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 04:26:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17134919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightberrypearl/pseuds/nightberrypearl
Summary: “No. There must be another way.” Minhyun pleaded, sounding almost panicked.“There’s nothing else we can do.” Came the solemn response.Minhyun ran his hand through his hair, frustrated. He turned to the other man, the man who was supposed to help, with an almost a frantic and crazed look in his eyes.“I don’t think you understand,” Minhyun began, his voice trembling slightly, “there has to be another option, I can’t—I can’t let you—I can’t just give up like this.” He stated with an air of finality.Alternatively titled: Another One Bites The Dust





	Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, Hwang Minhyun/Vacuum Cleaner is a real AO3 relationship tag.
> 
> Good ol' Mincuum... The otp to rule all otps... 
> 
> Okay, but more seriously, I hope that, if you have clicked onto this and then proceed to read this dumb fic, that you enjoy it and thank you for giving it a chance :3

“What’s the verdict?”

 “I’m sorry, Sir, but it’s not good and I’m afraid there’s no other option.”

Minhyun paced up and down the limited space available in the small room that smelled of chemicals and cleaning alcohol.

“No. There must be another way.” Minhyun pleaded, sounding almost panicked.

“There’s nothing else we can do.” Came the solemn response.

Minhyun ran his hand through his hair, frustrated. He turned to the other man, the man who was supposed to _help_ , with an almost a frantic and crazed look in his eyes.

“I don’t think you understand,” Minhyun began, his voice trembling slightly, “there has to be another option, I can’t—I can’t let you—I can’t just give up like this.” He stated with an air of finality.

The other man only looked at him apologetically, and the lack of a proper satisfactory response only succeeded in turning Minhyun’s grief and pain into anger.

“I thought you were meant to help people. Isn’t that what your job is? Saving, not destroying?” Minhyun seethed. A small part of him recognised that perhaps he was being somewhat unreasonable, that even the best of the best couldn’t help everyone all of the time. That sometimes, things turn out for the worst and you just have to learn to move on.

But he just couldn’t bring himself to let go so easily. He couldn’t find it in himself to just give up at the first sign of trouble. That wasn’t what love was about.

The memories of his precious, his beloved, laying lifeless before him just wouldn’t leave his mind and ever since that day, the moment that his one true love took in what would be the very last breath of air haunted his dreams. Or rather, his nightmares.

That day was almost a blur in his mind, and part of him was thankful that he couldn’t remember it in more vivid detail. The details that did still linger in his mind were bad enough.

“I can see that this is hard for you sir, which makes it all the more regretful that I have to say that I can’t do anymore to help. Our only option here really is to—”

“Don’t.” Minhyun cut of his sentence sharply. “Just… don’t say it.” He couldn’t bear to hear those dreaded words any more than necessary. Especially not when they were still ringing through his head after the first time he’d heard them.

The other man merely nodded in understanding.

“Can I…” Minhyun began, grabbing the other man’s attention, “Could you just give us some time alone? Before you…” he trailed off as he gestured vaguely in the air with his hands, the words getting stuck in his throat as he got choked up with emotion.

“Of course, I’ll just be in the other room. Take all the time you need.” The man replied before slipping out of the room, leaving Minhyun alone with the cold, unmoving, form of his greatest love.

Minhyun stood staring, almost paralysed, for a moment after the door behind him clicked shut. It took him a few more moments before he could gather himself enough to take a shuddering breath and slowly step towards the table on which his closest companion lay lifelessly.

They had been together for so many years, been through so much together. They were like one and the same, there was a connection, a sense of kinship, that Minhyun had never felt anywhere else.

Minhyun had never thought of himself as a particularly messy person but he had always been able to count on his beloved to be there for him and, when necessary, clean up after him.

His love ran deep, perhaps too deep, for him to be able to let go so easily. While he knew it in his mind, his heart could not accept that this would be the end of the line for them.

People would tell him that he could move on, should move on, but he didn’t know if it would ever be possible. Even if he could fill the physical gap, he could never fill the emotional gap left by his first and one true love. It just wouldn’t be the same.

Reaching the edge of the cold metal table, he tentatively reached out a hand to trace over the smooth contours of his first love for the last time.

“I wish things had turned out differently.” Minhyun mused mostly to himself. He couldn’t really expect any response, but then again, he never did. They had never needed words between them.

Minhyun let a small, bittersweet, smile creep its way onto his lips as he leant forward to press his forehead lightly against cool, solid, plastic.

“I’ll never forget you.” He whispered, as if speaking any louder was taboo.

What felt like short eternity passed before he finally pulled away, blinking away tears from his eyes. But then he was left stood, once more semi-paralysed, as he struggled to muster the courage to say his last goodbye. The final farewell.

In all honestly, he didn’t know if he could do it. It just felt to concrete, saying the words was both figuratively and almost literally the nail on the coffin. But he knew that he had to. He knew that he couldn’t leave without saying anything, leaving everything so open ended. He needed to closure if nothing else.

The quiet thrumming over the lights overhead was the only other thing that could be heard as Minhyun finally cleared his throat and croaked out a soft “goodbye” for the one thing that had been by his side for so many years, continuously without fail, without conflict, and unconditionally with no questions asked.

He took one last look at the sleek black plastic casing that gleamed under the fluorescent lights of the electronics repair shop, committing every detail to memory – even though he had long since memorised every ridge and contour of his trusty vacuum.

His trusty vacuum that he then turned his back on as he left the room, closing the door behind him with finality.

His trusty vacuum that had served him so well for countless years, only to suck in its last puff of air well before Minhyun was ready to let it go.

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I thought that tagging major character death would probably have been too much.
> 
> Also, I'd like to thank exactly all of the many many many helpful mods for organising this event. Yes, all those plural mods. I only decided last night that I wanted to post this for the fic fest and they were very accommodating and let me participate anyway on such short notice. I love you mods, all of you guys are the best!
> 
> If you enjoyed this... well then, after the identity reveal you'll be able to come find me and read the other ridiculous things I've written if you so wish.
> 
> Thanks again for reading and getting to the end :)))


End file.
